Category Archives: #LiveUpdatesPapua

For the first time in ten years, WestPapuaMedia is taking a break from regular publication over the next few months as we focus on improving our infrastructure, and work on several innovative new projects that will support credible, quality journalism on the ground in West Papua.

We feel without a current sustainable funding base and savings in the bank, we are unable to ethically provide the correct amount of support currently needed for our brave clandestine stringers and journalists to expose themselves in the field at this point. We are working hard to create the mechanisms so that they are armed always with real time digital security and support when they do venture into the field, and are able to report safely. These mechanism of course, we are working hard to develop so that anyone who needs to tell a story of their world – in Papua to begin with – is able to do so, and have their voice heard, and treated with respect.

Currently the amount of fake media, recycled
and out of context torture photos and misreporting is creating a situation where social media is now dismissed by the powerful around the world as rumour and propaganda. The work we are doing over the next few months is going to support the capacity of West Papuan people inside West Papua to get their own voices heard with the stories they want to tell. Not the stories that outsiders want told for their own clickbait donation agendas, or misreported, or not told full stop.

We want to be able to support every rally, every campaign, and to be able to tell every story West Papuans want to tell the the world, especially of those sectors of the population that don’t get a voice currently.

We will of course continue to assist foreign journalist to bypass the media ban in West Papua by assisting with SAFE organisation and fixing for undercover stories. However our main focus is to continue our pioneering work of the last ten years ensure that Jakarta’s Foreign Media Ban is redundant, through the effective and strong real time multimedia reporting capacity of indigenous Papuan journalists is supported.

So our current work over the next few months will be focused on organising West Papua Media’s back archives, our digital media assets, and also restructuring our project to deliver a more robust, intuitive and involving website, with the ability for people on the ground to collaborate with us, safely, with their identities and locations safe.

We will be creating an innovative new digital asset library, with new technologies of verification and safe asset tracking (that will not put the creator’s security at risk) that will ensure that any creative content, whether photos, videos, or any content and artwork provided to us, will be able to be tracked across the internet, and to enable licensing that will mean money will flow back to the creators so they can sustain their work (and get new equipment etc), or to enable training and supply to new witness journalists to operate effectively and safely.

We have a big checklist of tasks to get through, and welcome anyone’s assistance to make this a reality. Please contact us via our contact page if you would like to assist. You can of course donate to us via a variety of methods, just visit westpapuamedia.info/donate . We really need your generous financial support to enable this to be reborn in early 2017. A major crowdfunding campaign will begin late October, and will will be on a contributor and collaborator hunt – especially those who would like to mentor and support individual Papuan journalists in their continued development.

Until then, our work includes:

rewriting and translating for our side project “eyeSAFEMoJO – the Safe Witnesss Journalism Project“, which can be found at isafemojo.press , with tasks including:

a list of SAFEApps for enabling journalists and human rights workers on the ground in Papua to collect information safely using mobile tools, without threat of state surveillance and threats by using these unsafe apps and social media;

A new Safe Witness Journalism Guide, with graphical how-to’s and updated tactics specific to West Papua with lessons learnt from the last few years of changes in the media environment;

Developing a new series of training curricula for digital security and practical safety for frontline clandestine witness and professional journalists to be rolled out for 2017.

We are really going to need your help to bring these about of course, and will be outlining more in coming months, so keep your ears tuned for announcements on our twitter feed. Remember to please donate generously at westpapuamedia.info/donate

In the meantime, some articles will continue to come across, and you can keep up with our partner content by following the feeds on the sidebar at westpapuamedia.info

For up to the minute WestPapuaMedia tweets, please refer to embedded Twitter box below.

For crisis monitoring through our #LiveUpdatesPapua feed, please refer to the twitter box on the right sidebar. —->

Australian-supported Indonesian Police special forces shot dead a teenage Papuan high school student in central Nabire city, West Papua, on Monday (27th June) afternoon, in an apparently premeditated ambush without provocation, according to credible reports and witnesses from the scene. The student was unarmed.

Local independent media in Nabire, UmagiNews, are reporting that the extrajudicial killing occurred as the high school students were passing by the heavily armed police patrol near a roundabout in central Nabire. WestPapuaMedia stringers have confirmed these reports.

Oen (Owen) Pekei, 18, a student from class 2, YPPGI (Senior High School) Karang Mulia Nabire West Papua, was shot dead at 5pm local time, Monday, after being chased by at least three vehicles full of heavily armed, militarised police, according to witnesses.

One witness, whose name has been withheld for protection, told UmagiNews that Pekei was seen riding on a motorbike carrying a noken bag with the outlawed Morning Star pro-independence symbol. Police gave chase with three motorbikes, three unmarked police vehicles, and a truck full of fully armed and armoured Densus88 anti-terror police in balaclavas joined the chase. Pekei was herded into an ambush area, where more Densus88 armed members of the police were awaiting him at three points, according to the witness.

Oen (Owen) Pekei, high school student

Densus 88 troops allegedy involved in the shooting

Pekei was then shot in front of the new city complex at the Nabire regent’s office, allegedly from several directions simultaneously. UmagiNews have published aseries of diagrams given by witnesses showing from where different armed units shot Pekei. One shot from Telkom head office, the second from within the memorial monuments, and the third from the D88 cars of Dalmas Porles Nabire.

Unconfirmed reports seen by WestPapuaMedia stringers allege that amongst the shooters both waiting and chasing Pekei, were a heavily armed patrol of black clad special forces police belonging to the Australian-trained and funded counter-terror unit Special Detachment (Densus) 88. Densus88 has been used extensively for several years to conduct extremely violent repression against Papuan civilians engaged in peaceful acts of free expression, and his currently deployed heavily across Papua, whilst still receiving funding and training from the Australian Federal Police.

The motive for shooting is not clear, however police have denied – in the military run colonial media outlet Nabire_Net – that they shot Pekei, claiming instead that he died in hospital after hitting his head during the crash. (WPM: The photos of Pekei – provided for publication by his family with permission – show the entry wound caused by a bullet, which is inconsistent with road impact at low-speed*). However, human rights observers told UmagiNews that questions arose that if Pekei was considered a road accident victim that was unconscious, why he was dumped in the mortuary instead of receiving an attempt in the emergency room of hospital.

Other circumstances surrounding the shooting have not been confirmed at time of writing, and Indonesian Police in Nabire have refused to answer phone and SMS messages from WestPapuaMedia and also local stringers.

A human rights monitor in Nabire who exposed the news observed that the “Motive Appears unknown (as) conducted by the police, but people of Papua demand the Indonesian state carries out a just “crack down” on any human rights violations that occurred.”

This shooting is not the first time an event like this has occurred. On 5 December 2014 the Bloody Paniai incident occurred that left four unarmed Papuan teenagers dead and 17 more Papuans injured when the Indonesian army and police opened fire on peaceful protesters in Paniai.

Some Papuans who have gathered outside the Regents office after the killing told UmagiNews that they “questioned the Indonesian government’s seriousness in resolving human rights violations by the Indonesian military.”

“Bloody Nabire has returned, the security apparatus of the Republic of Indonesia is shooting the indigenous people of West Papua, using the tools of State (guns)”

PLEASE HELP OUR TEAM CONTINUE TO REPORT AND VERIFY ABUSES SUCH AS THIS TRAGEDY. ACCOUNTABILITY CAN ONLY HAPPEN WITH YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS. PLEASE CLICK ON THE DONATE BUTTON TO THE RIGHT —> OR VISIT WESTPAPUAMEDIA.INFO/DONATE AND SUPPORT US GENEROULSY. ALL DONATIONS WELCOMED TO ASSIST GETTING THESE STORIES TO THE WORLD.

West Papua Media (WPM) has not been regularly publishing on site recently due to a number of issues beyond our control, and also much behind the scenes work that we are doing to support the long-term support for journalism safety in Papua. This is a necessary step to develop some truly innovative solutions, so we ask for your patience and support.

The delays are have been also exacerbated by:

the amount of translators available currently being far less than the volume to be translated,

a significant workload in developing new and exciting security, reportage, and monitoring infrastructure and tools,

and a very large amount of new material to sift through, translate, transcribe, verify, qualify, compile, edit, layout and geolocate.

WPM has almost completed a large backlog of articles, partner content, photo reports, videos and wrap ups that should be published in full by the end of the week. We will be publishing partner content as it comes in, but some of our longer authored work will be delayed a little longer.

In the meantime, please make sure you follow our Twitter feed for both normal updates, and of course our #LiveUpdatesPapua real-time crisis monitoring feed. We have embedded the Live Updates feed also in the sidebar at the right, and will embed our normal twitter feed as a sticky on the front page of WestPapuaMedia.info

You can help speed this process in a number of ways:

by joining our team!:

We are keenly seeking more volunteers who can help in the following

editorial staff,

journalists (inside and outside of Papua),

translators,

video producers,

Contributors

audio reporters,

digital asset managers/ archivists,

website managers.

Financial specialists/ accountant

crowdfunding gurus

XML and app coders

These are all volunteer positions currently, but if you show some commitment, funding will be available to assist expenses. Significant positive career exposure will happen for all those who work with us, as we have a large network of media allies. If you would like to help, Please send a private message to Editor (@) westpapuamedia.info or call us at +61498239869

by keeping an ear out for our upcoming support and crowdfunding appeal for new projects and direct support to West Papuan journalists safety and security on the ground;

Of course we are most critically seeking your assistance and donations to continue this work. You can donate to us at westpapuamedia.info/donate

Please stay tuned as we have some more significant and exciting announcements over the coming weeks.

Indonesian police have arrested scores of West Papua National Committee (Komite Nasional Papua Barat) members around Papua on May 30, as Papuan civil society is gearing up for a day a mass mobilizations to sustain pressure brought on by the massive May 3 rallies, where Indonesian security forces beat hundreds of people and arrested close to 2300 people.

KNPB members across Papua were handing out pamphlets calling on West Papuan society to rally on May 31 for international mediation to allow West Papuans to exercise their universal human rights of Self-Determination, long denied by Indonesia.

The May 31 rally will also be demonstrating Papuan support for the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) bid for full membership of the Melanesian Spearhead Group, which was due to meet in Port Moresby this week, but the meeting has been postponed.

In Jayapura, 24 KNPB members were arrested at 1250pm outside the office of Papua Province Governor Lukas Enembe, at Dock 2 Jayapura whilst handing out flyers. Together with the Chairman KNPB (Numbay Area), Mr. Calvin Wenda &
the Chief Diplomatic Commissioner from KNPB’s Central Committee, Mr. Cobabe Waninbo, they were taken and held at Jayapura Police headquarters.

At time of writing, no response had occurred to WPM attempts to contact Jayapura police regarding charges or time of release.

high spirited KNPB members being held at Police headquaters in Jayapura

high spirited KNPB members being held at Police headquaters in Jayapura

high spirited KNPB members being held at Police headquaters in Jayapura

According to KNPB sources, Police have alleged that the leaflets contain subversive material, and all gatherings of KNPB members are illegal as the organisation is forbidden from registration as a legal by a Jakarta mandate, despite the rights allegedly afforded to Papuan people under the long since abandoned “Special Autonomy” provisions, and guaranteed to all other Indonesian citizens.

Riot Police belonging to the Dalmas public order unit at 1420 swooped on the Yapis bus stop outside Abepura, and arrested all 34 KNPB Members handing out the allegedly subversive leaflets, confiscating them as well as personal possessions.

KNPB Members at Yapis bus stop being arrested , May 30

KNPB Members at Yapis bus stop being arrested , May 30

KNPB Members at Yapis bus stop being arrested , May 30

In Wamena, several KNPB activist were chased, arrested and beaten by Indonesian police for handing out the flyers outside the KNPB Baliem office, activists had just begun leafletting for the May 31 mobilisation when Brimob police swooped and captured 21 of the KNPB activists.

KNPB members being arrested in Wamena, May 30

KNPB members being arrested in Wamena, May 30

Their names are as follows:

Warpo Sampari Wetipo

Hasan Kogoya

Marta Haluk

Mardi Heluka

Hery Kosay

Firdaus Hilapok

Paska Iyaba

Marsel Marian,

Melianus Kosay

Hiron Hiluka

Yufry Kogoya

Pilemon Meaga

Domy Meaga

Manu Wuka

Martinus Wamu

Deminus Qantik

Ardis Wilil

Nuber Surabut

Mely Wantik

Asa Asso

Yulius Towolom.

Earlier, Three KNPB activists – Darpinus Bayage, Ison Bahabol and Amiter Bahabol – were arrested for leafletting the same flyers at 1025am in Dekai town, Yahukimo, outside the local Bupati (Regent’s) office.

According to witnesses of the arrest, interviewed by a WPM stringer, the three KNPB activists were beaten as they were taken to the paddy wagon, and the witnesses reported that they believed the detainees were being “even more severely beaten once the got taken away in the vehicle.

At time of writing, the three were still being detained at the Yakuhimo police station.A KNPB source in Yahukimo, Marten Suhun, said “despite intimidation and torture happening in Yahukimo, but we KNPB will stay out on the streets (on May 31) according to the (KNPB) national agenda.”

Update: 45 people have been confirmed detained without release since 8pm last night in Fakfak, mostly are primary and secondary school students.

On 2 May 2016, almost 2000 activists were arrested throughout West Papua, as they were engaging in peaceful activities to support the ULMWP’s full membership to the Melanesian Spearhead Group. Today, most of the activists have been released, after many were tortured and mistreated.

45 people have been confirmed detained without release since 8pm last night in Fakfak, mostly are primary and secondary school students. That region was to hold a peaceful march the next day, on 3 March, coinciding with the Meeting that is to be held today in London, regarding the Right to self-determination of the Papuan People.

This is a video of last night, when the Papuan activists were arrested and taken away from the ULMWP Secretariat/Fakfak Region, to the police station. More than 16 people were arrested at the time, at around 5.30 pm. That evening, others were arrested at around 8 pm. The names of the 16 arrested whom we know of, are:

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#LiveUpdatesPapua crisis monitoring

When foreign journalists are banned from an Occupied Land, who better to tell the story than the people who live it. Your donations support and help deliver training for a free and independent media in Papua, safe from harm from those who want to prevent the story getting out. We are entirely non-profit and rely on your support to continue our work. Please donate generously.

Papuans Behind Bars is a new project to document the cases of West Papuan Political prisoners. That site has profiles of current and former political prisoners and releases monthly news updates on arrests, trials, etc. West Papua Media is proud to be working with Papuan Behind Bars

Background information on West Papua and its history for journalists and bloggers

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West Papua Media's principal mission is to assist in the development and advocacy of a free and open media capacity for West Papua, and to provide a Public Interest journalism service on issues affecting West Papua, for the international community. Contributions subject to editorial policy always welcomed. Donations are welcome and required to enable this mission to succeed.